Total births
29,465
Unisex name · since 1985
Karter
29,465 babies named Karter in U.S. Social Security records since 1985, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #248
- among boys today
- 29,465
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Karter currently ranks #248 among unisex names in America, with 29,465 babies recorded since 1985.
Social Security Administration records show Karter recorded 29,465 times among boys since 1985, holding rank #248 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1985 to 2025.
- #248 among boys today
- 29,465 born since 1985
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karter is currently the #248 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 29,465 born since 1985, peaking in the 2010s.
- #248
- among boys today
- 29,465
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Karter vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#248
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
57% of everyone ever named Karter was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
2,425 babies were named Karter in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Karter compares
29,465 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Karter's all-time total is 80x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karter | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,465 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,425 | 23 | 22,252 |
Karter's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karter splits its recorded history at 2007: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1985 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 2,425 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karter at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2019
Current rank
#248
Active since
1985
Karter popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1985–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 2,425
- Annual births at peak, across 41 years of records
Karter popularity over time - girls
4,587 total births recorded since 1997 (Karter as girls' name)
Karter by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Karter's strongest decade.
16,874 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 57% of all-time use.
Karter births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 212
1990s
212 births
- 2000s 2,079
2000s
2,079 births
- 2010s
2010s
16,874 births
- 2020s
2020s
10,295 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 16,874 births (57% of all-time use).
How Karter compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Karter's total volume
Karter vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Karter by state
Where Karter concentrates geographically, total births since 1985
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,721 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,915 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,512 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,392 | 4.7% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 1,360 | 4.6% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,242 | 4.2% |
| #7 | California | | 1,237 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 1,208 | 4.1% |
Texas share of Karter's total US births 9.2%
Even split
2,721 of 29,465 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Karter appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karter? ▼
Karter has been given to 29,465 babies in the U.S. since 1985, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #248 as of the latest data. 2,425 babies were born in 2019, its single highest year.
When was Karter most popular? ▼
Karter was most popular in the 2010s decade with 16,874 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Karter most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karter are Texas (2,721 births), Georgia (1,915 births), Florida (1,512 births).
Is Karter a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Karter is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 29,465 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,587 births.
How long has the name Karter been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Karter since 1985 -- 41 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Karter? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karl, Karson, Kareem, Karim, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Karter's data
- Karter's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (16,874 total births) through the 2020s (10,295) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Karters (2,721 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karter
Nearby Names Like Karter
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karter
Karl Boy
#1689 100,836 births
Karson Boy
#397 21,394 births
Kareem Boy
#675 18,161 births
Karim Boy
#820 6,886 births
Karsen Boy
#1851 3,472 births
Compare Karter side by side: Karter vs Karl Karter vs Karson Karter vs Kareem
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karter
Javier #247
107,969 births · Peak 2001
Zayn #249
13,118 births · Peak 2024
Muhammad #246
21,962 births · Peak 2025
Crew #250
12,509 births · Peak 2024
Harvey #245
127,925 births · Peak 1921
Simon #251
70,283 births · Peak 2015
Mark #244
1,362,176 births · Peak 1960
Eric #252
888,891 births · Peak 1970
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1985–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karter: #248 Unisex Name - 29,465 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karter. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Karter draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.